For at least two years, a priest in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, had been rolling the streets of his town in a VW Beetle with the words “God Squad” stenciled on its door in a design reminiscent of the logo seen on Best Buy’s Geek Squad vehicles. Now the priest’s car is unadorned after the retail chain got wind of his wheels and issued a cease and desist order. [More]
wisconsin
Verizon Blames Improper Billing Of Non-Verizon Customers On Human Error
By 6.23.10
Yesterday, we reported on the Attorney General of Wisconsin filing a lawsuit against Verizon for sending bills to people who had never subscribed to any Verizon services. Today, a rep for Big V contacted Consumerist to give the telecom titan’s side of the story. [More]
Verizon Sued By Wisconsin AG For Billing Non-Verizon Customers
By 6.22.10
The Attorney General of Wisconsin has had it up to here (I’m holding my hand somewhere slightly over my head) with Verizon and has filed a lawsuit against the telecom giant alleging that Verizon was not only sending bills to people who didn’t order Verizon services, but then sent some customers to collection agencies after they refused to pay. [More]
Rat Planter Pleads Guilty To Restaurant Extortion
By 2.8.10
Finding frogs in your weight watchers food or snakes in your TGIF or mice in your Pepsi is one thing and alerting the authorities for infomational purposes is one thing, but please don’t plant rats in your soup in the hopes of extorting a half-million. Because you will be caught, like Debbie Miller of Wisconsin. Here brilliant scheme was defeated by a microwave. [More]
15-Year-Old Cheese Sells For Only $50 Per Pound
By 12.9.09
Do you enjoy cheddar cheese? Do you prefer your cheese well-aged? Perhaps you would enjoy, for $50 per pound, what the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel calls “the single malt scotch of cheddar.” It’s 15-year-old cheddar from Hook’s Cheese Co. of Mineral Point, Wisconsin. And the few stores allowed to carry it can barely keep it on the shelves. [More]
Misplaced Letter Costs PepsiCo $1.26 Billion In Bottled Water Lawsuit
By 10.29.09
It’s easy to joke about PepsiCo’s Aquafina. After all, it’s purified municipal tap water, bottled and sold at prices comparable to juices and soda. But the product is no joke to two men in Wisconsin. In 1981, they discussed their idea to bottle and sell purified tap water with some of PepsiCo’s regional bottlers. Allegedly, the idea made its way back to PepsiCo and eventually became Aquafina.
Landlord Asks Mother To Pay "Early Termination Fee" After Son Fails To Honor Lease By Dying
By 4.26.09
Debbie Eckert cleaned out her son’s apartment after he died in a February fight, but the landlord, CCRT Properties of Brookfield Wisconsin, thinks she should pay several months rent and an early termination fee. The Wisconsin Department of Consumer Protection says that CCRT can pursue the 24-year-old teacher’s estate, but that they have no right to heartlessly badger his mother.
Two Wisconsin Walmarts Evacuated Due To Mysterious Odors, FBI Investigates
By 1.16.09
The FBI is investigating an incident in which a mysterious chemical was released in a Wisconsin Walmart sending 47 people to the hospital — and is not investigating a Walmart in the same county that had to be evacuated the next day due to an odoriferous sewer problem. What an odd coincidence.
How Many Jobs Did We Lose In 2008? As Many As If We'd Fired The Entire State of Wisconsin
By 1.9.09
The numbers are in and we lost 2.6 million jobs in 2008, making it the worst year since 1945. How do you picture 2.6 million jobs? Well, by looking at Wisconsin. Or Missouri. Or Maryland.
Neighborhoods Propose Printing Their Own Currency To Encourage Local Shopping
By 12.4.08
Two neighborhoods in Milwaukee are considering printing their own currency, which could be bought with U.S. dollars, but would be only accepted at local businesses, in order to encourage people to shop at home instead of Walmart.
All Airports Should Have A Recombobulation Area Like The One In Milwaukee
By 11.26.08
Today is a travel day for millions of Americans, so we thought we’d focus on the positive. Here’s a good idea that needs to catch on. Milwaukee’s Mitchell International Airport has a sign after their TSA check point that reads “Recombobulation Area.”
Seinfeldian: Some Consumers Really Do Drive Their Cans And Bottles To Michigan
By 10.28.08
Remember that episode of Seinfeld where Kramer and Newman attempted to drive a mail truck full of cans and bottles to Michigan in order to profit from the $0.10 bottle deposit? Well, apparently, people really do this. And it’s no fun for Michigan.
Small Claims Court Winners Having Trouble Collecting Money From Elusive "Spa Man"
By 10.7.08
“People think when they come to court that they are going to get instant relief,” said Judge Rebecca Dallet of the Milwaukee County Circuit Court. “We can give what the law allows, but we have no way of getting the money for them. I don’t think people realize that.”
NBC Stations Will Ditch Time Warner Cable Unless They See Some Cash
By 9.29.08
Cable companies compensate most of the channels they offer, sharing a portion of the money they get from subscribers with the individual stations– but apparently Time Warner Cable doesn’t share the wealth with broadcast networks — and Austin, TX NBC affiliate KXAN is having none of it. They want some money!
Time Warner Adds Big Ten Network, College Football Fans Rejoice
By 8.26.08
Time Warner Cable has reached a deal to offer the Big Ten Network on expanded basic cable in Big Ten states, says the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.
Thieves Snatch Almost $20,000 Worth Of Fuel From Gas Station
By 8.20.08
Gas thieves have stolen over 5,000 gallons of fuel from the Open Pantry Citgo in Wauwatosa, WI according to WauwatosaNow.com.
Man Shoots Lawnmower With Sawed-Off Shotgun, Voids Warranty
By 7.25.08
Not only is it illegal to shoot your lawnmower with a sawed-off shotgun, it’s illegal to own a sawed-off shotgun. Apparently, no one bothered to share this information with Keith Walendowski of Milwaukee, WI.
Best Buy Apologizes For Charging You Too Much Tax On Your DTV Converter Box
By 7.7.08
The way coupons are taxed is different in every state— and believe us — it gets really complicated. The general rule, in most (but not all) states is that consumers are taxed on the full amount of the transaction — including any reimbursement that the store gets.
